Switch with an indicating mechanism

ABSTRACT

A switch with an indicating mechanism which is visible or concealed, depending on whether the switch is ON or OFF. The indicating mechanism is slidably mounted within a switch activator (e.g., a handle or actuator button). Inclined surfaces are provided in the switch housing and said indicating mechanism is spring biased against said surfaces, so that when the lower end of the movable member contacts the inclined surface in one position the indicating mechanism remains concealed indicating that the switch is OFF, and which in another position along the inclined surface the spring causes the slidable indicating member to appear and thereby indicate that the switch is ON.

1 51 Dec. 30, 1975 3,538,285 11/1970 ZOO/167R 3,619,533 3,729,607

[ SWITCH WITH AN INDICATING 200/167 R Ellenberger.....................

ll/l97l McFarland..........

MECHANISM [76] Inventor:

Yasuo Kodaira, 5-14 Minamimagome, l-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan PrimaryExaminerRobert K. Schaefer Assistant ExaminerWilliam J. Smith M [22]Filed: June 18, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lawrence I. Field [57]ABSTRACT -A switch with an indicating mechanism which is visi- 21 Appl.No.: 371,073

[44] Published under the Trial Voluntary Protest Program on January 28,1975 as document no. ble or concealed, depending on whether the switchis B 371,073. ON or OFF. The indicating mechanism is slidably mountedwithin a switch activator (e.g., a handle or [30] Foreign ApplicationPriority Data actuator button). Inclined surfaces are provided in theDec. 29, 1972 4g 263[U] switch housing and said indicating mechanism isspring biased against said surfaces, so that when the [52] us. 200/308;116/124 L lower end of he movable m m r contacts h in- [51] Int. dinedSurface in one Position the indicating mechanism remains concealedindicating that the switch is OFF, and which in another position alongthe inclined [58] Field of Search...... 200/167 R, 308; 116/124 L [56]Ref r Cit d surface the spring causes the slidable indicating mem-UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1942 Spencer......

her to appear and thereby indicate that the switch is 200/ 167 R 1'1Claims, 16 Drawing Figures t v 7 I U.S. Patant Dec. 30, 1975 SheetlofZ3,930,135

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet20f2 3,930,135

SWITCH WITH AN INDICATING MECHANISM This invention relates to a switchwith an indicating mechanism, and more specifically to a switch with antions, respectively, to appear or disappear from the upper surface ofthe switch actuator.

In prior art toggle switches and corrugated switches,

" the switches conditions may be indicated by the inclined position ofthe handle or button thereof, means or by with a lamp utilizingillumination therefrom to recognize and indicate the changeoverconditions of the switch. There there are some disadvantages such asinstallation of expensive lamp, or breaking of the lamp during operationof the switch with the result of possible operators mistake. Further,specially designed mechanism and conductors, etc., are also needed forinstallation of the lamp, and the necessity of installing thesecomponents increases the difficulty of minituarization of the switchassembly.

This invention is directed to eliminating these disadvantages. A lamp isnot used, and instead an indicating movable member is provided inconnection with the switch actuator, and the movable member is made toappear or disappear from within said switch actuator and each of thechangeover conditions of the switch is readily determined depending onthe appearance or disappearance of the movable member.

Since this invention provides an indication of the switch condition bypurely mechanical movement of the movable member, it does not permit ascompared with the prior art switch utilizing an indicator lamp,possibility of malindication of the condition of the switch or mistakeas to the condition of the switch by an operator caused by a break ofthe lamp filament, and also it is simple in construction and has anadvantage of being cheap and small. Further, in comparison with theprior art switch actuators, this invention is capable of indicating moreclearly the changeover conditions of the switch by providing the movablemember with features as by changing the color of the upper end of theindicating movable member into red color.

These and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description and reference tothe embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of an embodimentof the switch provided with an indicating mechanism in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 2a is a plan view of the lower half part of the switch shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 2b is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment ofmaking the inclined surfaces of the case detachable in the switch inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the major portion of theswitch shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the switch inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b are schematic front elevational views showing eachof the ON-OFF indicating conditions of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b are schematic front elevational views showing eachof the ON-OFF indicating conditions of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the switch inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing another modification of theindicatingmovable member in the switch in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9a is a partial sectional view showing another modification of theswitch actuator and indicating movable member in the switch inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9b is an exploded, fragmentary, perspective view of the switchactuator and indicating movable member shown in FIG. 90.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of-theswitch in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing another modification of the contactsin the switch in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a further embodiment of the switchin accordance with the present invention.

In FIG. 1 showing one embodiment of the present invention, 1 is a switchcase, 2 is a cover cap, 3 is a sleeve provided with external threads and4 is a handle or switch actuator. The handle 4 is restrained againstupward movement out of sleeve 3 by'its central bulb means 5 (see FIG. 3)and is mounted to be inclined to and fro about this bulb means withinthe sleeve. A collar 6 is formed on the lower portion of the handle 4and a changeover member 7 is upwardly and downwardly slidably filledthereunder.

The changeover member 7 is formed in an elongated rectangular shape asshown in FIG. 3 and holes extending upwardly through the changeovermember are provided at the front and rear parts of the lower surface ofthe changeover member, and slide members 9 are inserted into these holesthrough springs 8. That is to say, this switch has two sets of contacts.The slide members 9 are slidably mounted on the upper surfaces of themovable contact plates 10, and the latter are pivotally mounted on areceiving member 11. Fixed contacts 12 are securely fitted on the bottomsurface of the case 1 in confronting relationship with lower surfaces ofthe plates 10 and both the right and left side terminal pins 13projecting from lower surface of the case 1 are connected with thereceiving members, respectively.

A longitudinal narrow channel 15 extending longitudinally through thehandle 4 is provided within the handle 4 and an elongated rodshapedindicating movable member 16 is inserted therein. The lower end of themovable member 16 is formed in semisphere shape 17 and a spring 19 isinserted between the upper surface of the shape 17 and a central recess18 of the changeover member 7 (see FIG. 1). Inclined surfaces 20 (seeFIGS. 1 and 2a) rising from the bottom surface of the case 1 are formedinside the case 1 and there is provided a lowest line 21 at the positionsuitably shifted left from the central crossing line of both inclinedsurfaces. The changeover member 7 is always biased upward by the spring8 into contact with the collar 6 and the movable member 16 is in thecondition such that the upper surface of the lower semi-sphere shape 17is pressed down by the spring 19 from the lower surface of the recess ofsaid changeover member 7 into abutting engagement with the inclinedsurfaces 20. Thus, in

.able member 16 is gradually raised along the inclined surface 20, andthereby the upper end of the movable member 16 is gradually raised untilit extends slightly above the uppermost part of the hole 15 of thehandle 4when the handle 4 is finally disposed in the most inclinedleft-ward position. These conditions are shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b.

The spring 19 is usually made substantially weaker than the springs8.Therefore, even if the handle 4 is inclined leftward and the lower endof the movable member 16 is in the, right hand high position in theinclined surface 20, the handle 4 is kept stabilized at this position.However, depending on requirement, the switch may be made into aso-called momentary switch of self-returning type by installing a strongspring 19 and making the inclination of the surface 20 steep. Releasingthe finger from the handle permits the handle to return to its originalposition. Further, when the switch is the type having three switchpositions such as left-neutral-right, i.e., ON-OFF-ON, the lowest line21 of the inclined surfaces 20 may be set in the center between theright and left sides of the surfaces, and the movable member 16 may beextended out of the handle 4 when it is in the right and left ONpositions and may be withdrawn into the handle when it is in the centralOFF position. Further, instead of raising the inclined surface 20 out ofinner bottom surface of the case integrally therewith, another block 20a having inclined surface 20 at its upper surface, as shown in FIG. 2b,may be provided and detachably inserted into the bottom surface of thecase la. This allows other blocks having any one of the desired inclinedsurfaces to be installed.

FIG. 4 shows an actuator button 22 in which the present invention may beincorporated in the switch. Also in this case, a longitudinal holeextends through the button similar to hole described above, except thehole in the button 22 is rectangular in shape, and an indicating movablemember 23 is slidably inserted into the hole. Short studs 24 are fixedintegrally or separately in the center of the front and rear surfaces ofthe button 22 in order to pivotally support it against the movablemember. Projection 25 may be formed integrally with and downwardly fromthe undersurface of the button 22 and it may serve in the same manner asdescribed above except that the changeover member 7 shown in FIG. 1 andthe projection 25 are made to be slidably mounted. That is to say, thereare provided holes in the front and rear portions of said undersurfacefor inserting springs 8 and slide member 9 thereinto and rectangularthrough hole for receiving the lower end of the movable member 25 isprovided centrally between both holes. The lower end of the movablemember 23 includes an expanded portion similar to the hemisphericalportion 17 shown in FIG. 1 except that it is rectangular shaped and aspring similar to the spring 19 is provided for pressing down thisexpanded portion against the inclined surface, and downward directedshoulder portion is formed near the lower end of the central throughhole for receiving the upper end of this spring. As a modification,instead of providing spring 19 around the movable member as shown inFIG. 1, the lower end of the movable member 23 may be projected towardfront and rear only and thereafter a spring having small diameter may beprovided on the upper surface of each projected member. Still further,instead of employing a rectangular shaped movable member 23, a circularshaped movable member may be installed. Conditions when the button 22 isinclined toward left and right, respectively, are shown in FIGS. 6a and612. Also, in this case, it may be easily determined whether the switchis in the ON or OFF condition by the conditions of appear or disappearof the upper end of the movable member in relation to the button 22.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which inclined surfaces 20 are provided inthe inner surfaces of the front and rear walls of the case 1 instead ofimmediately below the handle 4. Therefore, a small bar 27 is projectedforwardly and rearwardly from a cylindrical enlarged portion 26 formedat the lower end of the movable member 16 and the forward and rearwardends of the bar are mounted on the inclined surfaces 20. In thisexample, only one slide member 9 is mounted directly at the lower end ofthe handle 4. Hence there is only one set of contacts 12-10-12 withinthe case. Slots 28 are formed at the lower forward and rearward portionsof the handle 4 for inserting the small bar 27 thereinto, and downwarddirected shoulder portion 29 is provided in the lower midway portion ofthe through hole 15 in order to receive the upper end of the spring 19.In order to maintain the separate movements of the slide member 9 andthe movable member 16 with respect to each other, a downward directedshoulder portion 30 is provided in the inner surface of the lower end ofthe handle 4 and the upper end of the spring 8 is received by thisshoulder portion. For accomplishing these arrangements it is preferableto employ a spring 8 such as tapered coil spring having larger diameterupper turn than that of lower turn. And instead thereof, a circularbottom plate may be inserted into the shoulder portion 30 and a coilspring having an ordinary shape may be received by the circular bottomplate.

FIGS. 9a and 9b are views showing major portions of still anotherembodiment of the switch in accordance with the present invention,wherein the switch actuator has removable parts at its upper part, inother words, the switch actuator body 4 and the head 4a thereof areseparately formed and mounted. Collar 6 is formed on the upper part ofthe indicating movable member 16 and a spring 19 is inserted betweensaid collar 6 and shoulder portion 4a provided in approximately thecentral part of the head 4a of the switch actuator. Such an arrangementprovides convenience in the minituarization of the switch body. Stillfurther, a suitably colored cap 16a is inserted into the end of theindicating movable member 16. The cap 16a is detachably mounted in theindicating movable member 16 and may be replaced by other caps of red orblue color.

Referring now to FIG. 10, there is shown still another embodiment of theswitch in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, theend of the indicating movable member is made to be visible or concealed,not by providing a specifically designed inclined surface in the centerof the switch body, but by changing the type of the movable contactplate and utilizing rightward and leftward inclinations thereof. In thefigure, the movable contact plate 10 is inclined up toward right.Therefore when the actuator 4 is inclined toward right, the movablemember 16 is kept inside the switch actuator 4 by being pressed down byspring 19, but when the switch actuator 4 inclined toward the left, asshown in the dotted line, the lower end of the movable member 16 ispressed by the righthand projection of the movable contact plate a, sothe movable member 16 is moved upward against the action of the spring19, with the result that the upper end of the movable member 16 is madeto be visibly out of the switch actuator.

FIG. 1 1 shows still another embodiment of the switch in accordance withthe present invention. The difference between this embodiment and theembodiment shown in FIG. 10 is in that the movable contact plate isconventional type and either one of the fixed contact points is higherthan the other contact. In FIG. 11, right side contact point 12a ishigher than the left side contact point 12. Such an arrangement canaccomplish the same effect as that obtained from the embodiment shown inFIG. 10.

The above described embodiments are described with a switch in which theswitch actuator is han-. dle 4 or the actuator is corrugated button 22which are inclined toward left and right. The present invention may alsobe applied to a switch in which said switch actuator is slidable,namely, to the slide type switch. FIG. 12 shows an embodiment in whichthe present invention is applied to a slide type switch. In the figure,slider 46 of the switch actuator is slidable along the opening providedin the cover cap 44 mounted over the switch body 40. Indicating movablemember 47 is inserted into the slider 46 through spring 48 and the lowerend of the member is made to be slid along the upwardly inclined surface42 rising within the switch body 40. Therefore, the movable member 47 ismoved up and down in accordance with the sliding movement of the slider46, and when the slider 46 is in the position shown or rightmostposition, the upper end of the movable member 47 is projected out of theslider 46, and when the slider 46 is in the leftmost position, the upperend thereof is made to be concealed in the slider 46.

What I claim is:

1. In a switch an indicating mechanism comprising:

an actuating member having a longitudinally extending bore;

a movable indicating member slidably received in said bore; i a switchcase including at least one inclined surface formed in the switch case,

a spring located at the lower end of said movable indicating member,urging the lower end of said member to make contact with and move alongsaid inclined surface;

whereby the upper end of the indicating member is made to be selectivelyvisible or concealed by extending out of or being recessed within theupper surface of the actuator in accordance with the operating positionof said actuating member.

2. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1 whereinsaid spring is inserted between a collar on said indicating member and ahemispherical portion provided at the lower end thereof.

3. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1,wherein said inclined surface is fixed at the central part of the switchcase.

4. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1,wherein said inclined surface is detachably inserted into the bottomsurface of the switch case.

5. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1,wherein inclined surfaces are provided on both sides of the switch case.

6. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 5,wherein a slide member is mounted on the lower end of said indicatingmember.

7. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1,wherein the lowest line of said inclined surface is provided midway ofsaid inclined surface.

8. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1,wherein said actuator member is detachably mounted at the upper part ofsaid switch and includes a suitably colored cap inserted into the end ofsaid indicating member and a spring inserted into the upper part of thelongitudinal bore of said movable member.

9. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1,wherein said inclined surface is an inclined plate.

10. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 9,wherein one of the contact points is formed higher than the other.

11. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1,wherein said switch actuator is slidable.

Patent No. 3,930,135 Dated December 30 1975 Inventor) Yasuo Kodaira Itis certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 11, "switches" should read switch Column 1 lines 12 and13, "means or by" should read or by 0 means Column 1 line 16 delete"there", second occurrence Column 1 line 20 after "conductors" insertsockets Column 1, line 50 should read Column 3, line 14 "left-ward"should read leftward Column 3 line 21 "requirement" should readrequirements Q Column 5, line 10 after "visibly" insert extending UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CGRRECTIQN Column 5, line 28 delete"to the".

' fiigncd and Sealed this twenty-seventh D3) of April1976 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (umml'ssimu'ruj'PaIenls and Tradenmrks

1. In a switch an indicating mechanism comprising: an actuating memberhaving a longitudinally extending bore; a movable indicating memberslidably received in said bore; a switch case including at least oneinclined surface formed in the switch case; a spring located at thelower end of said movable indicating member, urging the lower end ofsaid member to make contact with and move along said inclined surface;whereby the upper end of the indicating member is made to be selectivelyvisible or concealed by extending out of or being recessed within theupper surface of the actuator in accordance with the operating positionof said actuating member.
 2. A switch with an indicating mechanism asset forth in claim 1 wherein said spring is inserted between a collar onsaid indicating member and a hemispherical portion provided at the lowerend thereof.
 3. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said inclined surface is fixed at the central part ofthe switch case.
 4. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forthin claim 1, wherein said inclined surface is detachably inserted intothe bottom surface of the switch case.
 5. A switch with an indicatingmechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein inclined surfaces areprovided on both sides of the switch case.
 6. A switch with anindicating mechanism as set forth in claim 5, wherein a slide member ismounted on the lower end of said indicating member.
 7. A switch with anindicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lowest line ofsaid inclined surface is provided midway of said inclined surface.
 8. Aswitch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid actuator member is detachably mounted at the upper part of saidswitch and includes a suitably colored cap inserted into the end of saidindicating member and a spring inserted into the upper part of thelongitudinal bore of said movable member.
 9. A switch with an indicatingmechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inclined surface is aninclined plate.
 10. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forthin claim 9, wherein one of the contact points is formed higher than theother.
 11. A switch with an indicating mechanism as set forth in claim1, wherein said switch actuator is slidable.